Jesus became aware that the Pharisees had heard he was baptising more disciples than John, even though his disciples were doing the actual baptising.

He left Judea and started traveling to Galilee, and he needed to go through Samaria. He came to a town called Sychar, in Samaria, close to the land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

Jesus was tired from the journey, so he sat down at Jacob’s well at around midday.

A Samarian woman came to draw water.

Jesus said, “Give me a drink.” His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.

The woman replied, “You’re a Jew. How do you ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” This was because Jews did not associate with Samaritans.

Jesus said, “If you knew God’s gift and who is asking for a drink from you, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

“Sir, you don’t have a bucket and the well is deep,” The woman said. “Where are you going to get living water from?

Surely you’re not greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us the well and drank from it himself with his family and animals.”

Jesus explained, “Everyone who drinks of this water here will get thirsty again. Whoever drinks of this water that I will give them will never be thirsty again. The water I give to them will become a water source that leads to everlasting life.”

“Sir, give me this water so I won’t be thirsty or need to come here for more water,” The woman said.

“Go and bring your husband here,” Jesus said.

“I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.

“You’re right that you don’t have a husband,” Jesus said. “You have had five husbands and your current partner is not your husband. You have told the truth.”

“Sir, I can see you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say we need to worship in Jerusalem.”

“Trust me, ma’am. A time is coming when you won’t worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You don’t know what you are worshiping. We know what we are worshiping because the Jews save us, but a time is coming, and it’s happening now, when true worshipers will worship the Father truthfully in spirit. This is because the Father looks for people like this to worship him. God is spirit and his worshipers must worship him truthfully in spirit.”

“I know the Messiah is coming, called Christ,” The woman said. “When that one comes, he will explain everything.”

Jesus said, “He is talking to you right now,”

The disciples arrived and were amazed that Jesus was talking to a woman, but no one asked what he was looking for or why he was talking to her.

The woman left her water jar and went to the town. She said to people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I’ve done. He may be the Christ.”

The people left the town to come and see Jesus.

While this was happening, the disciples said to Jesus, “Teacher, eat some food.”

“I have food to eat the you don’t know of,” Jesus replied.

The disciples said to each other, “Did someone bring him food?”

“My food is that I do what the one who sent me wants me to do, and I finish his tasks. Don’t you say, ‘There are still four months before harvest’? Look, I’m telling you, look up at the fields, because they are white and ready to be harvested. The gatherer gets paid and earns fruit for their everlasting life, so the one who planted the seeds and the gatherer can celebrate together. The saying is true in this context; ‘It is one who plants and another who gathers’. I sent you to gather what you did not work on. Others started the work, and you have continued their work.”

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus because of what the woman told them. “He told me everything I had done.”

The Samaritans came to Jesus and asked him to stay with them, so he stayed there for two days.

Many more people believed him because of what he said, and they told the woman, “We don’t believe just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves, and we know that he is truly the world’s saviour.”

Two days later, Jesus left to go to Galilee, because he himself had said that a prophet is not respected in his hometown.

When he came to Galilee, the people welcomed him, having seen what he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. (They had also come to the feast).

Jesus returned to Cana, Galilee, where he had turned water into wine.

At Capernaum, there was a royal officer who had a sick son. The officer heard that Jesus had returned from Judea to Galilee. He went to Jesus and asked that he come and heal his son who was about to die.

Jesus said to the officer, “Unless you see miracles, you won’t believe.”

The officer said, “Sir, come before my child dies.”

Jesus replied, “Go. Your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus had said and left.

As the officer was returning home, his servant met him on the journey and told him his child was alive. The officer asked the servant when he had being healed.

The servant explained, “The fever left him yesterday in the early afternoon.”

The father realised that was the exact time when Jesus had said, “Your son will live.”

The officer, and everyone else in his house, believed.

This was the second miracle that Jesus did after he came from Judea to Galilee.

John Chapter 4 Summary

Jesus is aware of the Pharisees’ attention on him. He travels from Judea to Galilee via Samaria. At Jacob’s well in Sychar, Jesus asks a Samaritan woman for water, which surprises her because Jews typically avoided Samaritans. Jesus offers her “living water” that leads to eternal life. Through their conversation, Jesus reveals that he knows about her life, leading her to seeing him as a prophet. Jesus speaks of a new age of worship in spirit and truth that goes beyond physical locations. The woman shares her meeting with Jesus with people in her town, leading many Samaritans to believe in Jesus. Meanwhile, Jesus teaches his disciples about spiritual food and being ready for the coming ‘harvest’ of Christian. Later, in Galilee, a royal official’s belief is rewarded when Jesus heals his dying son.

John Chapter 4 Bible Study Questions and Answers

1. What does the meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan woman teach us about overcoming social and cultural differences in our lives?
Answer: This meeting shows that Jesus does not adhere to social and cultural differences. As Christians, we should follow his example by reaching out to others regardless of social or cultural differences, fostering inclusivity and compassion.

2. How can we apply the concept of “living water” in our daily spiritual practices?
Answer: “Living water” symbolises the eternal life and fulfilment that Jesus offers. By regularly praying, reading the bible, and looking for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our lives, we can experience this spiritual “water” in our everyday lives.

3. What does Jesus’ teaching about worshipping in spirit and truth mean?
Answer: Worshipping in spirit and truth means focusing on real, heartfelt worship rather than just doing traditions. Christians today can apply this by making sure their worship is real and based in a personal relationship with God, rather than just traditional practices.

4. How can we find purpose from Jesus’ teaching that his “food” is to do God’s will?
Answer: Jesus found satisfaction in doing God’s purpose. Similarly, we can find strength and purpose by focusing on God’s work, knowing that serving Him brings true fulfilment and spiritual satisfaction.

5. In what ways can we demonstrate belief similar to the officer who trusted Jesus’ word about his son’s healing?
Answer: The officer believed Jesus’ words without any immediate evidence. We can show similar faith by believing in God’s promises and guidance even when we do not see immediate results, knowing that God’s timing and ways are perfect.

John Chapter 4 Explained

This chapter begins with Jesus’ decision to leave Judea for Galilee to avoid increasing attention from the Pharisees. His journey takes him through Samaria, where there was cultural and religious conflicts between Jews and Samaritans.

At Jacob’s well, Jesus’ meeting with the Samaritan woman breaks several cultural barriers. Firstly, Jews typically did not hang out with Samaritans, and secondly, teachers didn’t talk to women about their study of scriptures. Jesus’ request for water starts a conversation that reveals His mission to offer salvation to everyone in the world. His mention of “living water” goes beyond the physical need and points to spiritual satisfaction, symbolising the eternal life and satisfaction found in Him.

The conversation between Jesus and the woman also reveals her personal history, showing Jesus’ knowledge and care. Jesus invites her to acknowledge her need for spiritual rebirth by discussing her past. This leads her to see Jesus as a prophet and to a deeper discussion about real worship. Jesus declares that true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, shifting focus from physical locations to the sincerity and authenticity of worship.

The woman’s transformation is immediate. She leaves her water jar, possibly representing a departure from her old life, and becomes tells her community about Jesus, who “told me everything I ever did”. This leads many Samaritans to believe in him, showing the power of personal stories in teaching the Gospel.

Meanwhile, Jesus’ conversation with His disciples introduces the illustration of the spiritual harvest. He teaches that the fields are ready for harvest, urging His disciples to recognise the urgency and opportunity for evangelism. This reinforces the idea that Jesus’ mission is to gather believers, a task that involves both sowing and reaping by different workers in God’s kingdom.

The chapter finishes with a story about a royal officer from Capernaum who asks for Jesus’ help for his dying son. Despite Jesus’ initial words about people needing signs and wonders to believe, the officer’s faith is firm. Jesus heals the boy from a distance, showing His authority and the power of faith. This miracle not only heals the boy but also leads the officer and his family to believe in Jesus, showing the effects of belief and divine help.

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Continue exploring John 4

If you’d like to read John xx in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try John 4 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try John 4 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try John 4 in the Contemporary English Version.

If you prefer to read the Bible in a hard-copy format, here are cheaper versions from Amazon:
[These are Amazon affiliate links which support the production of this blog]
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, ESV Economy Bible
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, NIV, Economy Bible, Paperback: Accurate. Readable. Clear.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, Holy Bible: Contemporary English Version

If you’d like to explore John in more depth, here are two commentaries I would recommend:
[These are Amazon affiliate links which support the production of this blog]
Easy to access commentaries that include life applications:
The NIV Application Commentary: John
Mark (The Story of God Bible Commentary)
For a commentary that goes into more depth:
The Gospel of John (The New International Commentary on the New Testament)